Finding love in the golden years
By Carol Lambrecht of Milaca
Harry and I lived next door to each other for 24 years. We first met when my first husband and I had an accident near our home and we were transported by ambulance to North Memorial Hospital in Minneapolis. Harry had witnessed the accident and came to the hospital to get us home. We’ve been close friends ever since.
Harry and his first wife had five children, and we had two. Our oldest children all attended school together. My daughter always bragged to her friends that she had two sets of parents.
Harry lost his wife in 2001. We had moved back to Milaca at that time and I lost my husband in 2002. Harry came up to Milaca to help me with my auction sale in March of 2003. We spent a lot of time together -- going to lunch and dancing -- sometimes with our kids now married with families. Harry presented me with a ring on March 25, 2003, and we set our wedding date for Nov. 29, 2003. My birthday is Nov. 28 and Harry’s is Nov. 25. We married the day after my 70th birthday. His kids weren’t as acceptable of me as mine were of Harry. Time changed a lot of those feelings.
We strongly advise people to find companionship after losing a spouse for whatever reason.
In 2014, we had known each other for 50 years so took a trip around Lake Superior to celebrate, as we knew we would never make 50 years of marriage.
The Lord has blessed us as we will have 20 years together as of Nov. 29, 2023.
I was first married in 1953 and we had 48 years and nine months. Harry was married in 1955 and had 46 years with his first wife.
We have done many trips together. We have been to every providence of Canada and all 50 states, except Delaware and New Jersey. We have been on three cruises -- one on Carnival, one on Royal Caribbean and one on Norwegian Lines (for 7 days around the Hawaiian Islands!). We have been in Alaska five times -- we flew up twice, we drove our camper twice and we drove up once.
Harry was a caregiver for his wife for 18 years. I was a caregiver for my first husband for 10 years. When we got married we decided we were going to travel until our health or our money ran out. Thanks be to God we can still get around and do those things.